Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) will almost certainly tout her support for IVF when she delivers her party’s response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Thursday.
It’s easily been the most talked-about issue on Capitol Hill since last month, when the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that a frozen embryo is a “child.” That unprecedented decision resulted in women being denied access to IVF, as fertility clinics across the state halted services out of fear they could be sued.
The Alabama governor hastily signed a new law on Wednesday to give legal immunity to IVF clinics, but the state’s messy situation has thrust IVF onto the national stage and forced Republicans to answer questions about whether they believe an embryo is a child — and whether, by extension, destroying an embryo is homicide.
Britt, a young, conservative and pro-life woman considered a rising star in her party, embodies what the GOP wants people to see as its next generation of leaders. But when she addresses the nation on Thursday night, she will also be speaking as a U.S. senator from Alabama. And like virtually everyone in her party, Britt has refused to say if she agrees with her state’s decision to give a frozen embryo the same legal rights as a child.
HuffPost asked her office this week — three times — if she agrees with the Alabama court’s ruling that embryos are “children.” No response.
She wouldn’t answer this question in a statement she provided to a local news outlet last month, either. In that Feb. 22 story, Britt claimed that being pro-life and supporting access to IVF aren’t incompatible. She didn’t explain why, though.
In the meantime, the Alabama senator has been eager to tout her support for IVF. Until Thursday morning, her Senate campaign website prominently featured a photo of her next to an article titled, “Britt says in-vitro fertilization is pro-family, ‘deserves protection.’”
As of Thursday evening, hours before she delivers her State of the Union rebuttal, Britt’s campaign website simply redirected to a fundraising page.
While Britt may not want to talk about her views on embryos being children, she’s been clear in the past that she believes that life begins at conception.
In May 2022, her campaign website flat-out said so.
“As a Christian, wife and mother, I am 100%, unapologetically pro-life because of my faith and deeply-held family values,” Britt’s website stated at the time, per an archived image of it. “However, my belief in the science also reinforces my unwavering views on the issue, as there is no doubt that life begins at conception. Every life is a sacred gift from God, and I am passionately committed to protecting the unborn.”
It’s not clear when that language disappeared, but as of Feb. 16, 2024, Britt’s website had been changed and said only, “We must protect the sanctity of life. That starts with putting our children first.”
By March 5, even that language was gone. Instead, it just featured Britt’s photo next to the article about her strong support for IVF.